Prairies

Prairies


Transparency Fosters Trust

Freedom-of-information or access-to-information laws are not something that the average person thinks about every day, but they are a part of laws in every province and territory in the country and are designed to give people the right to obtain records from public institutions. Having access to the information they need to make informed decisions […]

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Elaborate Manitoba swearing in ceremony almost took place outdoors, documents show

WINNIPEG — The ceremony that saw Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew and his cabinet ministers sworn in at the province’s new horticultural showcase cost $19,600 and was almost held outside, information obtained by The Canadian Press shows. The newly elected NDP government, having ended seven years of Tory rule, opted to hold the Oct. 18 ceremony […]

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Alberta regulator mulls reducing liability of old wells before cleanup certified

The Alberta Energy Regulator is considering allowing oil and gas companies to reduce their environmental liabilities on old well sites before the cleanup is certified complete. The regulator says the move would reward companies that remediate their old sites promptly, cutting the amount of environmental red ink on their books and making it easier for […]

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How secrecy and regulatory capture drove Alberta’s oil and gas liability crisis

This article was originally published on The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. Disclosure information is available on the original site. “A hustle in the oil patch”, a “dirty legacy”: These are just a couple of the ways that the escalating costs of abandoning and reclaiming non-producing […]

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Suncor CEO fields tough questions at federal natural resources committee

It’s no secret oilsands companies intend to ramp up production despite the rapidly worsening impacts of the climate crisis, and one longtime industry executive laid out his arguments for doing just that at a federal committee Monday. Testimony from Rich Kruger, CEO of Suncor, made a spirited case for continuing to pull fossil fuels out […]

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Academic report calls for public inquiry into Alberta Energy Regulator

Academics at the University of Calgary are calling for a public review of the Alberta Energy Regulator, describing it as secretive and too close to industry. In a peer-reviewed report issued by the university’s School For Public Policy, three authors examine what they call a “massive policy failure” in dealing with the large and growing […]

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Symposium emphasizes the need for access to Church Records at former Residential Schools

(ANNews) — The Acimowin Opaspiw Society (AOS) Investigation Methodologies National Symposium took place on September 26-28, 2023, at the River Cree Resort in Edmonton. At the symposium, participants were provided with a presentation on Access to Restricted Church Records by Leah Redcrow, Investigation Director of the Blue Quills Missing Children and Unmarked Burials Inquiry and […]

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Embattled energy company fights regulator over seizure of thousands of wells

CALGARY — An embattled Calgary energy company is fighting the provincial regulator’s decision to seize thousands of its inactive wells. AlphaBow Energy has complained to the Alberta ombudsman and the province’s information and privacy commissioner over the Alberta Energy Regulator transferring control of more than 6,000 wells, pipeline segments and other facilities to the Orphan […]

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RCMP technology ‘between contracts,’ unavailable at first for Saskatchewan killings

SASKATOON — A technology used by a specialized RCMP team to search for people in high-risk situations was not immediately available as Mounties responded to a stabbing rampage and the hunt for a mass killer in Saskatchewan because it was held up under the federal procurement process. Documents obtained under freedom of information laws show […]

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Cyberattack on government service provider exposes records of 1.4 million Albertans

EDMONTON — An Alberta government service provider says the records of more than 1.4 million residents were the target of a cyberattack last month. Alberta Dental Service Corporation says in a news release that a third party gained unauthorized access to part of its information technology infrastructure. It says that third party was able to […]

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Executive at Manitoba Crown corporation was reimbursed for flights, hotels and more

WINNIPEG — A senior executive at a Manitoba Crown corporation was sometimes being reimbursed for travel to Winnipeg from his home in the Toronto area twice a month, figures obtained by The Canadian Press show. The newly released detailed breakdown of expenses, which also includes hotel stays and meals, was obtained under the province’s freedom […]

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Manitoba government planned a COVID 19 video and song for project that was abandoned

WINNIPEG — In the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Manitoba government laid out plans for a video to reflect on the effects of the novel coronavirus, complete with a song commissioned from noted singer-songwriter Sierra Noble. But the project, revealed in documents obtained by The Canadian Press, was abandoned. And while the song has […]

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